What’s in your purse?
So a few months ago my husband, feeling chivalrous, lifted my purse from my shoulder and slung it over his for a few moments while I picked up and soothed our little guy who just happened to be mid-meltdown.
He (my hubby) practically fell over.
And that is no exaggeration.
He gasped, “How much does this thing weigh?” Incredulous, he handed it back to me after a few blocks with a stern warning, “You are going to throw out your back if you keep lugging that thing around!”
I thought to myself, honey, you should try lugging it while wearing heels!
His reaction reminded me of the little French saying, “comme un escargot, avec la maison sur le dos.” Literally it means, like a snail, who carries its house on its back. Except it rhymes.
Apparently I am an escargot. And have been for some time — the reason I’m familiar with the phrase is because when I lived in France at age 19, I’d hear the French say it about little old moi thinking I couldn’t understand them.
That evening when we got home, just for grins, my hubby and I decided to weigh my little “purse.”
Want to guess how heavy?
Deep breath…
…33 pounds.
Yes, I was carrying around a purse that weighs about the same as my 3 year old.
The culprit was (and always is for me) paper. I am a scribbler. Yes, I use my computer to write and such, but I need paper to really think and organize myself. The only problem with my need for paper is that, in addition to my laptop and other miscellaneous electronic and makeup items, I end up lugging the equivalent of a few reams of paper plus a few notebooks everywhere I go.
Of course, I also have to be sure I always have a pen handy, so I had about 10 of those floating around too. And some Hot Wheels. Because you never know when you might need one of those.
And magazines. And two books to boot.
I clearly was in need of a purse intervention!
Something about seeing those numbers on the scale woke me up. An image of 70-year-old me, all crooked and hunched over, flashed before my eyes.
So that night, I vowed to turn over a new leaf.
How am I doing? Well, here’s what’s in my purse right now:
My wallet
A GiftCard.log
1 notebook
2 pens
My computer
My phone
Gum
Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I shifted to a smaller purse. But I’m telling myself it’s because I’m a reformed woman now.
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